FBI Steals Family's Life Savings

Luther Ricks and his wife worked most of their lives at a steel foundry in Ohio. Not trusting of banks, they say they’ve lived frugally, and managed to save more than $400,000 over the years, which they kept in a safe in their home.

Last summer, two burglars broke into Ricks’ home. He shot and killed one of them. Police determined he acted in self-defense, and cleared him of any criminal wrongdoing. But local police did find a small amount of marijuana in Ricks’ home, which Ricks says he uses to manage the pain of his arthritis and a hip replacement surgery. Ricks was never charged for the marijuana. But finding it in his home was enough for city police to confiscate Ricks and his wife’s life savings under drug war asset forfeiture laws. Oddly enough, the FBI then stepped in, and claimed the money for itself.

Consistent with asset forfeiture laws, the federal government now says Ricks has to prove he earned the money legitimately in order to get it back. Of course, he doesn’t have dated receipts going back thirty-plus years. And he can’t hire a lawyer--the government has all of his money.

Also, under asset forfeiture laws, even if Ricks were able to prove in court that he earned the money legitimately, he, not the government, would have to absorb the court costs.

The higher courts have stated repeatedly that seizure of assets before a trial or conviction of a crime committed is unconstitutional. This is the Neo-Nazis at work steeling and looting the public. I think it's time to do what needs to be done and sue the county that this took place in and find a lawyer who will do it pro bono for a later date remittance. Turn it around on them and make them prove that a crime was committed with that cash as the law should have the prosecutors with the burden of proof not the accused.

One wonders whether he might have been better shooting the police when they burgeled his assets as well. Was the marijuana in plain sight? If not, just how was it "found"? These tyrants get more bold everyday we allow them to continue in their positions.
I am beginning to wonder if there are any good cops left

A false conspiracy theory is that JFK was shot by aliens. This is a sad story of someone who got screwed by the law- I live in a family of police officers, I understand why this law is in place but do you think that if upper-class man shoots burglar, police find marijuana and 400,00 in cash that it would have had the same outcome?

What a wonderful police state you folks live in. A place where the cops can tase you for no reason, and then you have to pay the hospital bill. Where the FBI can take all your money, and you can't get it back because you're guilty until proven innocent, due to fascist laws that forbid the possession or consumption of the dried leaves of a weed.

Glad to live in Canada. If he had less than 30 grams of weed, they'd just take it from him and give him a scolding.

With 400K in cash he couldn't afford any better drugs for his condition? If this was really his life's savings then too bad he lost it. But he broke the law and now he is upset that he is an unfortunate victim of a law that is designed to punish the more hard core drug dealers? I agree that his case needs a review, but I won't stay awake at night thinking of how he got a raw deal. 1. He chose to keep his cash at home. 2. He chose to use a banned substance to treat a medical condition instead of prescription drugs. He is a victim of his own circumstances.

I'm having a hard time buying his story as well. $400,000 from investments cashed out maybe, but not $400,000 without an account for life without compound interest at work. This may or may not be drug money, but it screams money from a criminal enterprise or tax evasion.

Read this one:
One of the fbi and state of Texas leaders has got a lot of money by filling that I am working for them in year 2000, anyone you go and ask to follow are getting excited at first, then they all just run when they hear who it is.

In Ohio medical marijuana is completely legal. They may of left out he even had a presciption, but that really doesn't come into the story at all. So you can't prove that his marijuana was truly a "banned" substance. (scheduled, being a more correct term.)

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